


Albedo

by Hedgi



Series: Apastron [6]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex is very protective of her new sister, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Friendship, Gen, No more pain train for now, Pre-Season/Series 01, School, and Kara's still figuring everything out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22242271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hedgi/pseuds/Hedgi
Summary: AlbedoNoun.The reflective property of a non-luminous object, the fraction of light  that is reflected by a body or surfaceKara's first day of school goes differently than anticipated, though perhaps not in a bad way.
Series: Apastron [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/671120
Comments: 9
Kudos: 36





	Albedo

**Author's Note:**

> (Notes: some of this is extra canon-non-compliant, because dangit I need Tiny Kara to have some nice things in her life and I am giving them to her, following the canon non-compliant bad things that are this whole au)

September sunlight slipped through the car window, warming Kara’s face just a touch. She stared at the building, two stories, light colored plaster and brick, bright flags hanging limp from a pole by the door. It wasn’t the first time she’d been here--over the summer, Eliza had brought her twice. The first time had been for tests, and she’d worried until she realized it was just packets of paper with questions about math, and science, and understanding stories. All summer, Eliza and Alex, and sometimes Kal El had worked with her, teaching her English and the basics of Earth history. She’d grasped the science and math quickly, building on what her aunt and parents had taught her Before, though some of the terms were different. Still, she’d managed well enough. Later, she’d come with Eliza to meet her teachers and see the classrooms. There had been many of them, but Alex had promised that she’d keep her from getting lost. They’d even be in some of the same classes, just one of the accommodations put in place.   
  
There were others, too, like that because of the slight difficulty she still had with reading English, she could have extra time on tests, and because of her lingering claustrophobia, she’d get a seat by the windows. She was glad of that one. Kara loved windows.    
  
“If you need to leave, you can,” Eliza told her, seriously. “Your teacher can have the office call me, and I’ll come and get you, no matter what. You have your glasses?” Kara nodded touching the lead-rimmed glasses that sat on her nose, made like her cousin’s to muffle her hearing and keep her sight focused.    
  
“I have her spare set,” Alex confirmed, patting her backpack. While Kara’s was a cheerful, bright blue, Alex had a sturdy black-and-grey pack.    
  
“And your lunches?” Both girls nodded. “Good. I’ll pick you up right here at three. Alex--”   
“Look after Kara.” Alex finished.   
“And Kara--”   
“Don’t let people know.” Kara nodded. The official story had been worked out with J’onn and Kal one evening over Pizza and forged documents. Orphan Kara Zorel had been rescued in a raid on a group of human traffickers based partially up the west coast, in one of the port cities, and partly in a small, eastern european country near Vlativa, then swiftly adopted by Eliza Danvers. Details had not been offered, and the school had not insisted beyond what was needed to provide accommodations like the window seat. Kara had not needed to be told to keep her powers hidden, but she had been glad to keep her name.   
  
Eliza smiled at them both. “I love you. Have a good day at school. We’ll have potstickers tonight.”   
  
They were early, and Kara was glad, it meant the hallways were empty. Alex sat in the desk next to her in the first two classes, Science and Math, but then had to go to her own English class. She promised to meet her for lunch right after, but Kara was still nervous. She stayed quiet, answering no questions and waiting for the bell. When it rang, shill even with the lead in her glasses frames dampening the noise, she jumped in her seat.    
  
Waiting for the classroom to empty before standing proved to be a mistake. The Hallways were jammed with students, many of them much taller than Kara, and all of them loud. She wanted to cover her ears and hide. Kara could not find Alex. She saw plenty of students with reddish brown hair, saw lots of grey and black shoulder bags, but could not pick out her sister. As she stared, someone bumped her from behind.   
  
“Sorry,” Kara said, quiet, as she stumbled a little, but there was no response as the other student kept moving, the same direction everyone seemed to be going now. It reminded Kara of the markets at Starhaven, the bustle. She had loved that crowd, but that had been because she had held her father’s hand, and he had kept her close. She fought back the tears that came with the memory. The next time someone knocked into her, murmuring a “ ‘scuse me’, Kara found herself pushed along.   
  
The cafeteria was large, with a high ceiling that caught the noise and bounced it back. Kara stumbled away from the knot of people who’d been at her back, looking for a corner, or a window, or Alex. She saw a line of kids at one wall, getting food through a window that looked into another room, not outside, and the tables filled up. No where did she spot Alex-- she couldn’t recognize any of the faces, even though she’d had three whole classes already.    
  
On the edges of panic, she spun, and finally caught a glimpse of a nearly empty table near the back. It was not by a window--those were all packed full-- but there was a door, that was good. And while everywhere else was a chaotic swirl of conversations--she could hear it all overlapping, the same things-- that table was a beacon of quiet. She dove for it, hugging her bag to her chest. 

  
There was only one person at the table, and though a thick notebook and a brown paper sack took up some room, it confused Kara that no one else had already joined the pale boy. He looked up, tugging the notebook closer.    
“Um,” he said, sounding as confused as she felt.    
“I sit here?” Kara realized maybe he was saving the seats. She bit her lip. “I mean, Can I sit here?” she corrected herself.    
  
“You want to? Uh, yeah, sure.” The boy--she didn’t recognize him-- moved his things to make even more room. Kara pulled out her lunchbox.   
  
“Thank you,” she said, keeping her voice soft.    
“Sure,” he repeated. For a long moment, he stared at her, ignoring the notebook he had been so frantically scribbling in moments earlier. Kara held her sandwich in both hands, and met his eyes.    
  
“Sorry,” he muttered, glancing down at his own lunch. “Uh. Are you a 6th grader?”   
  
“No,” she said, curious. “7th,” she thought that was right. She took another bite of her peanut butter and honey. Curiosity was powerful, but hunger was stronger.    
  
“It’s just, you’re… new, then. No one else sits near me.”   
  
“I am Kara.” She wondered if she should shake his hand, but he didn’t offer. “I am new.”   
  
“That explains it,” he said. “I’m Winsl--Winn. Sorry, I just-- you’re not scared?”   
  
Now was Kara’s turn to frown a little. Scared? Kara knew fear. Fear was the Dark Room, Fear was the weight of a chain, fear was the scar down her belly. Fear was not this scrawny boy, watching her the way Eliza did sometimes, like she thought she’d bolt.    
  
“It’s quiet, here,” Kara answered, trying to figure out how to word her thoughts without actually explaining. “Why I be scared of that?”    
  
He ducked his head back to his notebook, and Kara started in on her lunch: both sandwiches, an orange, carrots, three cookies, and a handful of nuts and candy drops. She’d gotten used to eating more, but she was still always hungry-- but also pleased. She’d talked to someone, on her own, in English.    
  
“Kara!” she whirled at the sound of her name, and spotted Alex dart around one of the packed tables to reach the corner. “ There you are, I looked in your classroom, but you were go---oh.” she seemed to notice the boy, and her expression changed from relief to concern. “Kara, let’s go back to the classroom. We can eat in there.”   
  
Kara looked at the crowd between where she sat and the door and shivered. “I’m ok here,” she said softly. “There’s room. This is my--my friend Winn.”   
  
Both Winn and Alex seemed startled by that, and stared. Kara wondered if maybe she had jumped to conclusions. Maybe Winn didn’t want to be her friend, or maybe it was rude to offer someone else’s table to Alex… She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, waiting for Alex to gently correct her.    
  
“..Friend,” her sister repeated. “Kara--- he’s…” she lowered her voice. “ _ Udol. “ _ _   
_ While Kara had learned English from the Danverses, she’d taught them some of her own language. Now, she paused, hearing Alex use it. Bad? Evil? That didn’t sound right. Moreover, it didn’t feel right. She toyed with the button on her sweater, worrying it. Alex knew this place, these people, but… Winn had looked so surprised, almost like he was afraid of  _ her.  _ He was watching them both now, with that same expression.    
  
“I--I’ll go,” he muttered, grabbing for the notebook. “Sorry to bother you.”   
  
Kara shook her head. “Don’t have to leave-- you don’t have to leave. It’s your table.” She turned to stare at Alex. “Aleeeeex.”   
  
Alex sat on the bench beside her sister with a thump. “ Ok.”   
  
Winn blinked. “You won the science fair last year. “   
“Yeah, I did,” Alex seemed pleased. “What about it?”   
“It was just… really cool, is all.” Winn went back to his notebook. Kara finished her lunch.   
  
The next day, they joined him at the back table again, and again the next day, and again, until Alex forgot to be even a little wary, laughing at his science jokes, and Kara no longer jumped at the sound of the lunch bell.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> It's my birthday and I'm back on my bullshit this year, I have more of these planned and word docs open, heck ye  
> comments are love!


End file.
